Fruits and Veggies Monday: Buddha Bowl with Garden Fresh Dressing

Happy Monday!  I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend.  The weather was a little cool and somewhat dreary around here, so @dksart and I had a fun time staying indoors and going bowling with some friends on Saturday night.  We hadn't done that in a long time!  There was some (not so fierce) competition, thus we needed something quite healthy and delicious to recharge our batteries on Sunday.  Enter this week's Buddha Bowl!

I admit I actually used to be a little intimidated by all of the beautiful bowls I see posted every day on all of the blogs that I follow.  While I do try to make my food look appetizing, I am not quite the artist that some of you wonderful people are.  After a while I finally realized that it's not necessary to get super fancy with my bowls.  Fresh ingredients with a delicious dressing or sauce are all you need to satisfy your taste buds and nutrient needs.

Our dear #fruitsandveggiesmonday host @lenasveganliving got a little peak at my creation in Instagram yesterday, so of course I had to share it with all of my Steemit buddies!  I figured it was also about time again to share a recipe on a Monday instead of only teasing you with my meal prep. ;)

I always love the combo of raw and a few cooked items that most Buddha bowls have.  I try to load up on fresh fruits and veggies as much as possible, but the addition of a small portion of whole grains and beans really helps fill me up and satisfy me.  It's the best of both worlds!  This week I opted for farro--one of my favorite ancient grains--and adzuki beans.  Similar to the Kamut in my stuffed pepper recipe I shared last week, farro is full of fiber and plant-based protein.  It is a really great complex carbohydrate option that will fill you up much better than any processed carbs, and should also leave you feeling light and less likely to get bloated. Though farro is not gluten-free, so you may need to sub for quinoa, millet or sorghum if you cannot tolerate gluten.

I had to get most of my veggies from the store this week as our little garden is still in quite the early phases of growth, but I am still making the most out of the herbs.  Since I got a lovely bunch of radishes to add to my bowl, I didn't want to let the leafy green tops go to waste.  They made a great addition to my vibrant green dressing.  Like most other leafy greens, they are packed with vitamins and minerals.  Not to mention you get more bang for your buck by not throwing them away!  I paired them with my usual haul of mint and lemon balm to bring a really fresh flavor to my bowl.

I think I covered most of the rainbow with this creation. :)  Radishes, carrots, celery, red bell peppers all with some arugula to add to the green power.  It definitely hit the spot for lunch yesterday, and although it's only 10:30 am here I'm starting to get excited for another round today!

Buddha Bowl Base

• 1 cup farro (or other grain of choice), cooked
• 2 cups cooked azuki or other beans/lentils
• 2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
• 3-4 stalks celery, cut into strips
• 3-4 carrots, shredded
• 1 bunch radishes, leafy tops removed & set aside, shredded
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• juice from 1/2 lime
• arugula or other leafy greens
• raw pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

Cook your grain and beans as needed, then set aside and let cool.  I make a big batch at once so I can freeze some for easier meals later on.

Shred your carrots and radishes, then mix together in a bowl with the ginger and lime juice to make a small salad.

To assemble your bowls, place a large handful of the arugula in the base of your bowl.  Top with a scoop each of the grains and beans, a handful of the celery and pepper, and also a scoop of the shredded salad.  Sprinkle on some seeds and spoon over some of your dressing.

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons grapefruit white balsamic vinegar (sub rice wine vinegar or other light vinegar if needed)
• 1 lemon--zest & juice
• 1 ripe avocado
• green tops from your radish bunch, wash thoroughly
• handful each of fresh mint and lemon balm, or whatever herbs you have access to
• pinch of sea salt

Remove the pit from the avocado and scoop out the flesh.  Place that in your blender along with all of the remaining ingredients.  Blend until smooth and creamy.  Taste and adjust any proportions to your liking.  Enjoy!

Don't forget to check out the latest compilation from my dear friend @woman-onthe-wing for this week's #makeithealthy magazine: https://steemit.com/makeithealthy/@woman-onthe-wing/the-make-it-healthy-project-magazine-issue-4